Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE210100473
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$462,573.00
Summary
Breaking Performance Limits of Solar Inverters for a Sustainable Future. Micro-inverters offer a unique ability to maximise solar energy yield and streamline the installation, operation and maintenance process of solar power generation, thus having huge potentials to drastically reduce the cost of solar electricity. However, performance limits have hampered their wider applications in the energy sector. This project aims to tackle the performance challenges of micro-inverters by developing a nov ....Breaking Performance Limits of Solar Inverters for a Sustainable Future. Micro-inverters offer a unique ability to maximise solar energy yield and streamline the installation, operation and maintenance process of solar power generation, thus having huge potentials to drastically reduce the cost of solar electricity. However, performance limits have hampered their wider applications in the energy sector. This project aims to tackle the performance challenges of micro-inverters by developing a novel power-conversion architecture, a unified design framework, and a new control theory. The intended research outcome will be a new range of ultra-high-performance micro-inverters. This will promote greater solar uptake and maintain Australia’s leadership in the development of disruptive solar power generation technology.Read moreRead less
Harmonic suppression and delay compensation for inverters. The aim of this project is to use variable prediction horizon nonlinear model predictive control to achieve near perfect harmonic suppression for inverters in the face of realistic and unavoidable switching delays. Other aims include further performance improvement based on the application of Kalman observer, and extension of the ideas to a variety of switching topologies and validation of the results by simulation and experiments. The i ....Harmonic suppression and delay compensation for inverters. The aim of this project is to use variable prediction horizon nonlinear model predictive control to achieve near perfect harmonic suppression for inverters in the face of realistic and unavoidable switching delays. Other aims include further performance improvement based on the application of Kalman observer, and extension of the ideas to a variety of switching topologies and validation of the results by simulation and experiments. The intended main outcome of the project is the development of a methodology for non-interfering operation of inverters, particularly, in grid connected applications. This is expected to facilitate a further integration of renewable energy and highly efficient power utilisation. Both factors are crucial in the sustainable clean energy future.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE150100021
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$430,000.00
Summary
Smart grid testing facility. Smart grid testing facility: This project aims to establish an essential part of infrastructure required for experimental research in the area of distributed resources under a smart grid. The innovative theoretical methodologies being developed under existing or completed research projects in this area will be validated through experimental research. The experimental platform is intended to help to resolve technical issues related to future power supply systems inclu ....Smart grid testing facility. Smart grid testing facility: This project aims to establish an essential part of infrastructure required for experimental research in the area of distributed resources under a smart grid. The innovative theoretical methodologies being developed under existing or completed research projects in this area will be validated through experimental research. The experimental platform is intended to help to resolve technical issues related to future power supply systems including real-time data from smart meters, application of vehicle to grid systems, demand management, control, and protection aspects under the uncertain nature of renewable energy sources. It is expected to bring together the researchers in this area for collaborative research.Read moreRead less
Chemical physics for nanotechnology and biotechnology. Computational methods solving the motions of electrons and nuclei will be developed and applied to the science and technology of single-molecule devices. Applications include design of extremely dense memories, photosynthesis, design of a new type of solar cell, concepts in quantum computing, and high-quality protein structure determination.
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE240101298
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$415,727.00
Summary
Strategies enabling stable perovskite PV devices with efficiency beyond 25%. This project aims to develop technologies enabling stable perovskite photovoltaic (PV) devices with efficiency beyond 25%. The project is built upon my up-to-date achievements on efficiency and patented technologies on stability. The key concept is to lay single-crystalline-featured electron-transport-layer as foundation, followed by superior and neat perovskite light harvesting material through backbone modulation, cr ....Strategies enabling stable perovskite PV devices with efficiency beyond 25%. This project aims to develop technologies enabling stable perovskite photovoltaic (PV) devices with efficiency beyond 25%. The project is built upon my up-to-date achievements on efficiency and patented technologies on stability. The key concept is to lay single-crystalline-featured electron-transport-layer as foundation, followed by superior and neat perovskite light harvesting material through backbone modulation, crystal-facets management and surface-impurity removal. The outcomes are expected to deliver intellectual property academically and commercially, including new knowledge in addressing challenges toward efficient and stable perovskite PV devices and the associated patents for next-stage commercialization.Read moreRead less
Environmentally benign polymer solar cells. The project aims to prepare polymer solar cells, by developing water-compatible conjugated materials for the active layer. This technology would be cost-efficient and not use environmentally harmful solvents. The project would achieve aqueous compatibility of these hydrophobic molecules through substitution and careful positioning of functional groups. Fabrication processes will be optimised to incorporate these materials into solar cells, with a focus ....Environmentally benign polymer solar cells. The project aims to prepare polymer solar cells, by developing water-compatible conjugated materials for the active layer. This technology would be cost-efficient and not use environmentally harmful solvents. The project would achieve aqueous compatibility of these hydrophobic molecules through substitution and careful positioning of functional groups. Fabrication processes will be optimised to incorporate these materials into solar cells, with a focus on controlling the morphology of the active material. Determining the relationships between conjugated molecular design and cell performance should provide a new direction in solar-cell technology.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE150100075
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$240,000.00
Summary
Fabrication Facility for Oxygen-Sensitive Electronic Materials . Fabrication facility for oxygen-sensitive electronic materials: Turning new materials into functional devices is necessary before their benefits can be widely exploited. This project will provide researchers with a glovebox capability to make devices with materials that are degraded by exposure to oxygen. In particular, the project will use this equipment to make new electronics devices based on organic semiconducting materials, in ....Fabrication Facility for Oxygen-Sensitive Electronic Materials . Fabrication facility for oxygen-sensitive electronic materials: Turning new materials into functional devices is necessary before their benefits can be widely exploited. This project will provide researchers with a glovebox capability to make devices with materials that are degraded by exposure to oxygen. In particular, the project will use this equipment to make new electronics devices based on organic semiconducting materials, investigate oxygen-sensitive materials for energy storage, and undertake fundamental studies of surfaces and interfaces.Read moreRead less
Next generation excitonic solar cells using advanced charge generation concepts: setting the new efficiency benchmark. Next generation cheap organic solar cells will be developed, which will facilitate the large scale deployment of affordable solar cells, thus enabling Australia to reduce its carbon footprint. The proposed significant advances in solar cell design will place Australia at the forefront of this technology creating new industries.
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE160100504
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$370,000.00
Summary
Intermediate Band Solar Cells Based on Triplet-Triplet Annihilation. This project seeks to develop a new technology which allows solar cells to harvest a broader range of light from the sun, including red and infrared light, to increase solar-to-electric conversion efficiency. It is proposed that this would be accomplished through a series of chemical reactions which allow electrical power to be generated either by conventional means or a multi-step process in which low energy light is ‘glued’ t ....Intermediate Band Solar Cells Based on Triplet-Triplet Annihilation. This project seeks to develop a new technology which allows solar cells to harvest a broader range of light from the sun, including red and infrared light, to increase solar-to-electric conversion efficiency. It is proposed that this would be accomplished through a series of chemical reactions which allow electrical power to be generated either by conventional means or a multi-step process in which low energy light is ‘glued’ together. This is of interest in relation to emerging technologies such as dye-sensitised solar cells, which are low cost, architecturally appealing and amenable to flexible substrates. It is anticipated that this project will provide a means for substantial improvement in solar cell efficiencies.Read moreRead less
Charge transfer kinetics at nanostructured semiconductor surfaces. This project aims to enhance understanding of the interface science associated with charge-transfer reactions at nanostructured semiconductor surfaces. Experimental and modelling approaches will be used to unravel the contributions of surface wetting and nanostructure geometry to the kinetics of charge transfer reactions at the surfaces. Expected outcomes include an enhanced capacity to engineer nanostructured semiconductor surf ....Charge transfer kinetics at nanostructured semiconductor surfaces. This project aims to enhance understanding of the interface science associated with charge-transfer reactions at nanostructured semiconductor surfaces. Experimental and modelling approaches will be used to unravel the contributions of surface wetting and nanostructure geometry to the kinetics of charge transfer reactions at the surfaces. Expected outcomes include an enhanced capacity to engineer nanostructured semiconductor surfaces for designed functionality and an extended collaborative network which can collectively address significant problems in energy science. It is anticipated that these outcomes will be realised in reliable, low-cost metallisation for silicon photovoltaics and increased power densities for electrochemical storage systems.Read moreRead less